


Threshold

by dearest_sparksandstars



Series: The Forces that Guide Them [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Coruscant, F/M, Family Drama, Poe Dameron Hurts So Prettily, Poe Needs A Hug, Poe’s necklace, Rey Needs A Hug, Sequel!, Sharing a Bed, The First Order, Um I suck at tagging, Zorri needs to learn boundaries, rey is the queen, the knights of ren but not accurate, the resistance, um
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 17:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18970111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearest_sparksandstars/pseuds/dearest_sparksandstars
Summary: The First Order ravages the country, and the Resistance rises from the ashes of the Throne it once held, though spread thin across its vast lands.Rey Skywalker of Jakku must fight for her bloodborne right to protect her people. Poe Dameron takes his place as a leader and a face for Rebellion as Leia Organa guides him, and Finn finds a place among the ranks of those that are his equals.Ben Solo has fallen under the shadow of Kylo Ren, and the fate of the people hang in Rey’s hands.





	1. I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Poe, and Mara arrive in Coruscant, and Poe lies awake at night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! It’s almost summer vacation! I’m still tired!!!1! 
> 
> But yeah woooo
> 
> ALSO if you haven’t read my other big fic, A Journal, a Will, and Letters, I suggest you read that before this or risk being very confused at the outset sooo yeah! Enjoy the ride!

Rey followed Poe down into the cellar, the distant shouting of Mara and her younger sister ringing in her ears. Erid turned back to them, and scans her face slowly. 

“Did you know?” He stuttered, evidently nervous under her steady gaze. “Did you know that she was alive?”

Rey huffed, glancing over her shoulder, and beckoning for him to join her on a wooden bench. She tries to lay it out in her head before she can speak, but considers her words even more carefully as she begins. 

“I did not know, that is, until recently,” she sighs, and glances at Poe who gives her an assuring nod. “You see, Mara Jade came to the Resistance base not long after the fall of the New Republic. I have been alone for most of my life, but when she sought me out, I was angry, angrier than I thought I’d be–”

“Rey,” Poe urges, and she unclenched her fists.

“She never died,” Rey clarifies finally. “She was cast out and her death was faked… because of me.”

“You’re her daughter?” Erid asks, and she nods, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I don’t understand… why would her parents cast her out? She was their heir.”

“My father,” Rey whispered, and she watched Poe quirk an eyebrow, trying to hide his surprise to keep the situation calm. “They kept their relationship secret, and when they discovered it, they disowned her.”

Erid blinks, and Poe steps closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Who is your father?”

“The late King,” she places her hand over Poe’s, and avoids his gaze. “But he didn’t find out about me until recently. It was by chance that I became his apprentice, by chance that he chose his last, true blood heir to take his place after he left-”

She cut herself off, realizing what she had said before she could continue. The scent of stale hay filled the silence left by her almost thoughtless utterance. Rey hadn’t told anyone besides Han that Luke was still alive, but the fact that she was is daughter was no secret by now. She was almost sure that he was never going to leave that island unless he was desperately needed or if she met an untimely death and the Crown needed to be filled by a worthy leader, so she had not thought much of telling anyone. 

The yelling had died down, and footsteps on creaking boards alerted them to Mara’s descent. Nya was close on her heels, and when her eyes fell on Rey and Poe, her gaze softened from its frustration to something more restrained. 

“I’m sorry for the poor accommodations,” she addresses them, but her voice is hoarse, pained. “With the First Order in the city, there is not many other ways that we can conceal the three of you without detection. I doubt that Phasma would like it if we told her the sparks of the rebellion were staying in a suite in the upper levels of the estate.”

“Captain Phasma’s here?” Poe asks, a worried crease developing in between in his brows. She can sense that there’s something more behind the question, but it’s merely a sensation within his signature already plagued by questions.

“Snoke sent her troops here not long after the Knights of Ren deployed to take the Resistance out. They believe that they have control of the city, but we remain loyal to the New Republic.”

“Then why not declare your allegiance to the Resistance?”

“The First Order’s forces outnumber ours ten to one, if we did so, they would not hesitate to take us out of the picture. It could be a repeat of the Hosnian cataclysm.”  
Rey watches Poe consider this for a moment, and in his moment of thought, Erid stands, and joins his mother on the steps. 

“I’m sure Devon would like a word with his sister when he returns from his hunt,” Nya muses, quirking a brow at Mara. “But in the meantime, you’ve travelled a great distance to join us here, so please get some rest,”

“Thank you, Nya,” Rey smiles stiffly, feigning contentment that is easily seen through. “We will. Erid, we’ll finish our conversation another time.”

The older woman nods just as stiffly, and her son trails behind her hesitantly.

Once the trap door slams shut, Poe whirls on her, but no trace of anger lingers in his eyes. 

“Luke is alive?”

This catches Mara’s attention as well. Rey’s distant gaze is enough an answer for him. 

“When did you find out?” Poe stutters, and Rey meets his eyes finally. 

“The island,” she whispered. “You said you felt like there was a reason I should go, and,” he sat down beside her. “He was there living alongside the temple’s nuns and cut off from the Force to not be detected.”

“When you left, you went to an island?” Mara scrutinized. _“Alone?”_

“You should know as well as anyone that I am a Jedi like my father before me,” she stood slowly, frustration stinging at her throat. “So I trusted what my Commander suggested and what the Force was telling me to do.”

“If you should be criticizing anyone’s decisions,” Poe speaks up, stepping in between them. “It’s mine.”  
She places her hand between his shoulders and shakes her head when he turns to her. 

“Please, we need to keep it civil or risk creating a divide amongst ourselves.  
She placed a tentative hand between his shoulder blades, and he relaxed ever so slightly. She shook her head, and he sighed. With her gaze burning into the woman that was her mother, she bit her tongue and straightened.

“Creating a divide among us will do no good in a time such as this,” she whispered, though with just enough strength to convey her seriousness. Mara crossed her arms. “Best we hold our ground as one.”

“Don’t I get the right to want to protect you?” Mara bit as she turned away, moving towards the pile of blankets and hay at the corner of the room. Rey froze, and slowly, glared over her shoulder. 

“No, you don’t,” came her broken response, finally. “You are not my mother, not really.”

With that, she took brisk steps away, and sunk onto the makeshift cot. With the cold tips of her fingers, she gently wiped away hot tears, and sniffed, pulling her coat a little tighter around herself. 

The room was spinning, threatening to throw her into a vision, but a steadying hand came to her shoulder, and her breath caught, stilling her mind. Poe wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he sat beside her, and hesitantly, kissed her temple and running his hand gently through her slightly damp hair.

The dread that she had felt before their departure settled in the pit of her stomach once again as she looked up at his tired face with sad eyes.

She didn’t know what was coming, or why she agreed to come at all, but a storm was brewing, for better or for worse, and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.

-

He knew he wouldn’t sleep that night, not with the way his mind was racing and racing back to the pain and terror as his brother had tore through his mind. 

Rey shifted beside him, and he startled ever so slightly, before turning over to face her, and thunder cracks above.

He’s surprised that she doesn’t wake up right then and there, for her fear of thunder kept her awake all those months ago. 

But, then again, everything had changed.

Here she was, an exiled Queen, struggling to find a reason to fight, even if she would never admit it. He could see it in the way she dreaded wearing the robes her father had given her and how conflicted emotions radiated off of her signature anytime her mother would get too close. 

And then, there was him, a General of her Rebellion, whose mind was shattered, but he’d never let that show. He wasn’t the confident and cocky soldier that he used to be, and he’d gotten much of his people killed. 

She saw through it, and she always could. That’s one thing that hadn’t changed.

“What’s wrong?” His eyes flicked up in the dark, surprised that hers were awake. They were foggy with sleep in the dim light, but she brushed a stray curl out of his eyes, and her hand settled on his cheek.

“Can’t sleep,” he whispered, his voice ragged from disuse. “I’m afraid of what I’ll see when I close my eyes.”

Rey blinks slowly as if considering a response, and the light from the hearth illuminates her freckles into constellations. He smiles to himself, and she raises an eyebrow at him. 

“What?” 

“No matter how many times he killed you in my head, or turned you against me, I never stopped loving you.”

“I’m sorry that I put you through that,” she responds too quickly, and he can see the guilt filling her gaze as she averts it.

“No,” he urged. “No, it wasn’t your fault. You fought for yourself that night, and you’re alive, and to me, that’s all that matters.”

“But _you’re_ not okay,” she sighed, and he can tell she could see the tortured look in his eyes.

“I will be,” he leans his forehead against hers. “Especially now that I’m here with you.”

She wrapped her arms around him as he shuttered, breathing her in, still struggling to believe she was real. After all, it had been almost six months since her coronation. 

Everything had changed, yes, but it showed no sign of stopping, and he held hope that it would turn in their favor.

“We’ll win this, Rey,” he whispers against her hair, but she doesn’t respond right away, the silence thoughtful. “We will.”

“If I told you about the darkness in me,” she croaked. “Would you still look at me like I’m the sun?”

He pulled back and gazed into her eyes with furrowed brows. 

An image projected into his mind, of harsh, golden eyes, corrupted with anger and with agony, in the place of peaceful hazel.

Poe doesn’t know if she had forged the image herself, or if it was something that she’d seen, but the fear that bled through her was threatening to overtake him as well. 

She wouldn’t meet his eyes for the rest of the night. He wonders if she even intended to show him at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Rey was a little ooc (a lot of what she said in the second half was rather selfish) in this chapter bc I felt it moved the plot along better.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected confrontation on the way to a rendezvous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I’m back, sorry this chapter is short, but I wasn’t really willing to stretch this chapter so I could keep the ending, especially after coming out of an *epic* writer’s block.

The rain continued throughout the morning, and the marketplace was dull and nearly empty. They obscured their faces as best they could, leaving little to the imagination of any onlookers.

Nya has opposed to the plan, of course, but Rey had insisted that she and Poe attempt to recruit in the parts of the city that had been described to them as subject to uprisings against their new occupants. 

They would then rendezvous with Poe’s top squadron, who had just arrived in the city, and gather any valuable information that they could.

But now that they were in one of those districts, it seemed too quiet. 

She hooked her arm in his as they stepped slowly down the street, and under her touch, his muscles tightened, and he kept glancing over his shoulder with suspicion in his eyes. 

She squeezed his bicep reassuringly, though it did nothing to put him at ease. He glanced down at her, and from behind the cloth that obscures all but his eyes, she can see the fear in his eyes. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge, and her hand jumps to calm it.

As if on cue, a shopkeeper calls out in a foreign language at the end of the street, and a small squadron of men in white armor, stormtroopers, and a pair of officers stalk into the marketplace. The only other patron beside themselves, rushes out of their way, and as the squad passes, she catches a glimpse of the faces of the two men. 

“ _> General Hux,” she whispers, and she studies the older _man for a moment, but can’t seem to recognize him.__

__Rey’s voice catches in her throat when they pause, and turn slowly back to them. Poe’s grip on her tightened protectively, as well as as a warning._ _

__She flinches back slightly as the ginger-haired man steps towards her aggressively._ _

__“Have something to say, ma’am?” The older man steps forward and grabs him by the arm._ _

__“Armitage,” he whispered, and pulls him back._ _

__“I could have their heads if I wanted to,” Hux scowled. “Pryde, let me have this.”_ _

__“We are not monsters, Hux,” the man looks them up and down suspiciously. “At least, I am not.”_ _

__Hux considers her with anger in his eyes one last time, and Rey feels as though he _knows _and hasn’t said anything. But just as soon as she is sure that he’s going to do something, his eyes turn again to Poe, and he visibly resigns.___ _

____“Good day, then,” he whips around, and Allegiant General Pryde sends them an affirming nod, before turning away himself._ _ _ _

____She lets out a breath that she most certainly knew she was holding, and lowering her head, they reluctantly continued through the market._ _ _ _

____-_ _ _ _

____“Finn!” Leia called, and he placed a reluctant hand on Rose’s shoulder before turning away._ _ _ _

____He was thankful that her recovery had occurred fast enough for her to travel the distance with them to Yavin. Finn didn’t know what he’d do if he was left without her, and left without Poe and Rey again._ _ _ _

____They were taking their last break in travel, and they’d arrive at the Massassi temples by late morning if they left at dawn._ _ _ _

____“Captain Trooper!” She called, and he picked up the pace._ _ _ _

____“Yes ma’am, sorry ma’am,” he replies, and jogs over to join her.“What is it, General?”_ _ _ _

____“Any word from Poe and Rey?” She asks, and looks more exhausted than he’s ever seen her._ _ _ _

____“No, ma’am, but I wouldn’t worry, it’s probably hard to get a message out of a city like that.”_ _ _ _

____“Very well,” she sighs. “I want you to lead the scouts in the morning, you would depart a few hours before the rest of us.”_ _ _ _

____“Thank you, General,” he nods, and she shakes her head at his continued use of formalities. “I won’t let you down.”_ _ _ _

____-_ _ _ _

____The size of the tavern is the first thing she notices as they entered: it was relatively small and there were only seven patrons in the room besides the bard tender and the barmaid. Behind the bar, there was a door that was cracked open slightly, and as they stepped towards the counter, the bartender looked up from his work._ _ _ _

____They placed their hands on the counter, and she spared a glance to study Poe’s obscured face._ _ _ _

____“What can I get started for you, sir?” He asked sternly, and Poe lifted his hand to fiddle with a ring on his right hand._ _ _ _

____It shifts to reveal the hidden symbol, and the man startled, nodding vigorously, a little too obviously for comfort._ _ _ _

____“Very well, come with me,” he gestures to the door, and they follow close behind. Down a hallway, up a set of creaky, wooden stairs. Finally, to another, more elegant door, that’s scratched up with symbols that resemble rebellion-era Squadron signs,_ _ _ _

____He leaves them there, and Poe turns the knob slowly, and they enter cautiously._ _ _ _

____On their feet stood Jess, Snap, Kare and Suralinda, and on one of the beds sits a man no older than Poe that she doesn’t recognize. They pull away their disguises, a collective sigh of relief fills the room, and Jess rushes forward to embrace her,_ _ _ _

____But Poe is stiff, his gaze trained on the unfamiliar man, and Jess notices this quickly._ _ _ _

____“We wish there was an easier way to do this, Poe but—”_ _ _ _

____“Muran,” he whispers in disbelief, and something stirs within her, and she remembers the first and the last time she had heard that name._ _ _ _

____They’d barely known each other yet but she knew whoever this person was held extreme value to him, but was long gone._ _ _ _

____The man, Muran, rises, and dips his head to her._ _ _ _

____“Your majesty,” he turns to Poe, something lingering in his gaze. “Dameron. It’s been a long time.”_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn’t originally intended to include Muran in this other than being mentioned but using the classic “what could go wrong?” prompt thing this happened. 
> 
> I feel as though the direction I’m going to go with this fic has changed since I first posted the last chapter so we’ll see how it goes and how this happens.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey briefs the squad, and has a conversation on the rooftop. Poe processes. Rey faces a nightmare that holds a dark possibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF that IX teaser really got me, hence the last section of this chapter. 
> 
> If you know you know.

Poe stuttered in disbelief, and Karé stepped forward, giving him a reassuring stare, but he could hardly tear his gaze away from the tall man, his dazzlingly blue eyes and soft brown hair. 

Shaking himself, he lets Rey lead him to a chair by where the others had gathered. She looked just as confused as he did, and the unease radiated off her in waves that he was sure only he could feel. 

“We’re glad that you made it to the city safely,” she sighed. “We’d be in a lot more trouble if you hadn’t.”

“I think it’s quite a miracle that we did,” Snap mutters, running a hand down his face. “There are wanted posters with our faces on them all over the outskirts of the Outer Rim. I’m surprised we haven’t seen them yet here.”

Gathering his composure, Poe finally speaks. “The city is heavily fortified, and the documents we forged were hardly enough for the officers at the gates. It’s likely that they’re trying to keep the city closed off so that any Resistance influence that drifts this way stays out.”

“It’s a little late for that,” Muran sighs under his breath, and Rey shifts awkwardly.

A tense moment of silence fills the room, only broken when Karé finally meets his eyes and takes in a breath. 

“What are we to do? Now that we’re here,” she pauses. “We fought off some destructive First Order radicals and gained support in Ikkrukk, but when we received the order to join you here, we didn’t get the same intel you have.”

Poe studies Rey’s face, her gaze fixed on Muran, but other thoughts clearly spinning through her head. 

“We know the Order believes that they hold full control,” she turns back to the rest of the Squadron. “And that the Duke and Duchess are loyal, but are attempting to avoid confrontation with Phasma and her forces. 

“There are several districts in the south quarter that have expressed their unease in regards to the occupation, and it is our job to unite them in an organized fashion,” she slips a map that Nya had given her out of her bag and hands it to Jess.

“We need to keep our faces hidden or risk the Order cutting the city off. No more resources, no more trade, and a price on our heads higher than that of the most valuable diamonds. We would not only put ourselves at risk, but the entire city, and keeping these people safe is my greatest priority.”

“Spoken like a true Queen,” Jess places a hand on her shoulder, and meets his eyes. 

“What’s first, General?”

“First, you all rest,” he adds. “We’ll get to work tomorrow. Rey and I will stay the night and return tomorrow evening.”

“Yes, sir,” Snap chuckles, and strips off his jacket. 

“I’ll go speak with the owner and request another room,” Karé sighs, and steps out, leaving Jess to study the map. Rey, too, stands and turns out the door in the opposite direction. 

He meets Muran’s steady gaze that’s filled with an off tint of grief and uncertainty. 

It doesn’t stir the same warmth that it used to. 

-

She had spotted the roof hatch as they had entered, and now that the briefing was over, she had a chance to breathe. Rey climbed the ladder, and swung open the hatch, and into the fog that had descended on the city. 

Leaning on the stone edge of the wall, she pulled her hood up, and sighed. 

The look on Poe’s face had said enough for her, and the fact that Karé, the last remaining member of his original squadron, had taken the subject so carefully proved to her that this was a more sensitive matter than she had originally thought. 

She began to realize that Poe never spoke much of his time in the Navy before he came to the palace apart from offhand comments and brief accounts of specific moments. Rey knew of Iolo Arana, had met him once at a dinner before her coronation, and held a personal relationship with Karé like she did with most of Poe’s closest friends, but they never talked about their fallen friend who, as it turns out, had never fallen at all. 

(She also began to recognize that pattern; loved ones they thought they were dead were never actually that, but stayed away for their own good.) 

She pulls the chain out from under her clothes and fiddles with the ring, studying the careful craftsmanship.

“Is there something wrong, My Lady?” 

Startling, she drops the ring, and curses herself for not being alert. 

She looks over her shoulder to see the very man she had been thinking about. He looked in good health and hygiene, and she wondered what was going through his head. 

“Just thinking, but thank you for your concern,” she hangs her head again, but his footsteps persist towards her still. 

“I’m not that easy to get rid of, My Queen.”

Sighing, she shakes her head. “Just Rey, please.”

“Okay, Rey, what’s on your mind?”

Rey considers honesty, but was not sure she was ready to face the consequences of the feelings bordering on jealousy bubbling in her chest. 

“Poe,” it slips out before she realizes it. “The war, and what the future holds.”

“He’s a good man,” Muran sighs. “I’ve known him for a long time.”

“I know,” she replies, quietly. “It’s clear that you mean a lot to him, given his reaction to your presence.”

“He doesn’t look any different than he did when we were together in the Navy. Just seems tired.”

“War does that to you,” she bites her lips. “It changes people. He might not be the same person you used to know.”

“Neither am I.”

“You loved him, didn’t you?” she whispers. 

He leans onto the rail beside her, his pale blue eyes studying her carefully. 

“You said it yourself, he might not be the same man I used to know, but yes. I did.”

She doesn’t falter, but it still stung. 

“But he clearly loves you, now,” Muran resigns, and she raises her eyes to meet his. They’re sincere, if not a little hurt. “He hardly ever talked about giving me that.”

She realizes that he means the ring, and she wraps her hand around it thoughtfully. 

“You’re a good woman, Rey, and a mighty fine leader, and he’d be a fool not to take his chances.”

“You flatter,” she huffed, trying to hide an embarrassed blush creeping in her face. 

“I just speak the truth.”

She considers him for another moment. 

“Then why did you come back?”

His kind smile fades away, and the air between them chills instantly.

“I’m sorry,” She trails off. “I must have overstepped.”

“No, no, it’s okay. Why stay away and let your family think you’re dead?”

She fights the urge to roll her eyes. She bites her tongue, and fights to not let the lump in her throat breed tears. 

“I won’t make excuses,” he sighs. “I know you of all people would be able to see right through me.”

She chuckles, annoyed that he’s assuming she’d use that power without his permission.

“I was scared of what they’d do to me.”

Rey blinked, and turned to him, confused.

“Who?”

“The First Order,” he replied, no hesitation in his tone. “They found me after I came to and tortured information out of me. I don’t know what I’d have done if I came back. I couldn’t face them, not then, and when I saw Karé in that marketplace, it was like everything I’d done had come rushing back.”

He wiped the mist from his brow, pinched the bridge of his nose, and she found herself comparing his mannerisms to ones that Poe used to express in meetings that particularly stressed him out. 

“Thank you for sharing that,” she mumbled, quite unsure of herself. 

“Well,” he snorts, lighthearted and sincere. “You asked and… I can see why he loves you.”

She huffs, and a comfortable silence fills the space between them. 

“It’s ironic, don’t you think? The mist.”

“What makes you say that?” She asks, pulling her hood back.

“For a city so beautiful and vibrant, the burden the Order bears brings unease and dullness,” Muran tugs at the fabric of his gloves. “It was my home once, and I’ve never seen a week in which it was ever this…”

“Dark?”

He studies her carefully.

“It’s okay, I feel it too.”

-

“Are you okay?” Jess puts down the map, and moves closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I think so,” he sighs, running a hand down his face. “It’s just a little hard to process.”

“I get that,” she considered her words carefully. “When you first came to the Resistance after that mission, you were pretty broken up about him. It’s okay to feel hurt about it.”

“It’s not that,” he ruffles his curls absentmindedly. “I think after how much time I spent grieving the thought of him being, well, alive is shocking. I’ve seen him, and he’s real, but my brain isn’t comprehending it.

“I’ve been tricked so many times in the last few months that I’m not sure what I believe. If he really was taken away, then why come back at the precise time we need our allies… when we’re out most vulnerable?”

Jess looks down, solemnly, and he immediately regrets what he’s said. Had he really changed so much since the war started that he could think Muran of all people could betray them?

“You’re right,” she says, and he’s not sure he heard her correctly at first. “We need to tread carefully, especially with everything… and everyone we have on the line here.”

He wonders if Rey can feel the connection between them, old and faded as it was, and worry that she would drift away fills him suddenly. 

They needed to protect her now more than ever, even if she protested it.

-

The temple was cold, and it sent fear coursing through her veins. She felt like she was wandering in an abyss, alone in the darkness. 

A sudden feeling filled her chest, that she had been here before. Instead of silence, her feet met stone, and a hideous laugh filled the cavern around her. 

Rey clutched her arms to herself, and stumbled as footsteps approached. When the hiss of a blade became apparent, she finally whipped around, eyes falling on the dark figure, dragging a blade, no two beside them. 

She became aware of her own saber in her hand, and raised it, blue illuminating her face. The figure stopped, and the blades clicked down into a double-sided quarter staff. The red, too lit their face, and she startled.

“You have become the very thing you sought to destroy,” the figure bit.

Her eyes slid open.

She shifted ever so slightly under Poe’s arm, his breath centering against the name of her neck. 

The chilling stare of her own golden eyes lingered, and made her uneasy.

The visions were becoming more consistent, but this was the first time she had ever seen the figure’s face. 

Her eyes flicked to the others sleeping across the room, and shifted her back closer to his body. He responded by wrapping his arm around her tighter and taking her hand. 

Pulling his hand over her heart, she took in a deep, shuddering breath, and closes her eyes tight.

“Force, please guide me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot is moving kind of slow right now, and I’m trying to get back to writing, so hopefully it picks up again soon! Thanks for sticking around for my BS while I get used to my class schedule again.


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn writes a letter, Kylo Ren paces in a tower, and Poe, Rey and Black Squadron meet a contact in the south quarter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. A little late for Damerey week but here’s the next chapter.
> 
> Some stuff to know:
> 
> The Knight that the Resistance captured in the end of _Journal _makes an appearance in this chapter and is named Zelos Ren.__
> 
> __If you didn’t already guess the contact is (spoiler) Zorri Bliss and as per the tropes that are going around there is some inappropriate and nonconsensual affectionate gestures._ _
> 
> __There is much that matters in this chapter and the chapters to come so yeah!_ _
> 
> __Also hope you guys liked the trailer! I’m super hyped to see where IX goes omg maybe I’ll write a speculation fix or something._ _
> 
> __I did proofread this several times so hopefully it’s better than the last couple of chapters have been. I usually write late at night when I feel most inspired so exhaustion contributes to that lol._ _

The orange glow of sunset in Yavin filled Finn up, warmth spreading over his dark skin, but it did little to ease his nerves. He crumpled the paper he had been writing on, not being able to find the words to send to them, wherever they were then. 

“Hey,” came a gentle voice, followed by a calloused hand placing itself on top of his. Rose’s fingers pried the crumpled document out of his grip, and opened it up delicately. “That’s not so bad.”

“Not good either,” he runs a hand down his face, and she leans into him reading aloud:

_“Dear Friend,_

_“We hope that you are safe, and that you will find your way back to us when you find whatever it is you’re looking for in that gods-forsaken city._

_“Brother, you father is quite well. He misses you and the lovely lady. He hopes to show her your tree again when the time of your return comes._

_“Your return will come. I believe it will, Rosie does too. Madame sends her regards, and warns that you should tread carefully. These are difficult times our beloved home faces, and one wrong move could leave us all in ruins._

_“-F” ___

__She pauses, and with a soft smile on her face, folds the letter, and sealed it in an envelope with the wax emblem of Black Squadron._ _

__“I think it’s perfect. The attendants at the gate will know where to deliver it.”_ _

__“It’s not too obvious?”_ _

__“It may be, but you must trust that this will find its way to them.” She hands it off to the waiting officer before he can protest, and cups his cheeks. “They’re safe. I can feel it.”_ _

__“But for how long?” He whispered, and Rose’s eyes darkened with fear for a brief second, but she didn’t let it show for much longer than that._ _

__“Captain,” enters a quiet voice. He turns to face Admiral Startura with tired eyes. “We’re ready for you now.”_ _

__“Yes, sir.” He kisses her cheek and bid her ado before following him into the temple. Deeper and deeper they seem to go, until finally they reach their destination._ _

__The dark hallway is lit only by a few pairs of torches lining the walls, and the heavy, barred doors lead into even darker cells._ _

__Leia waits for them at the bottom of the staircase._ _

__“Good, he won’t talk to anyone else.”_ _

__They enter a cell close to the end of the hall, and the figure sits is a chair, his hands tied behind his back._ _

__He looks up with cold, dark eyes and a piercing gaze that sends a shiver down Finn’s spine._ _

__Steeling himself, Finn sighs._ _

__“It’s a pleasure, traitor,” the prisoner snaps. “It is my understanding you have some questions for me?”_ _

__“I do, Zelos. Plenty for one of the Prince’s prized and fearless knights.”_ _

__-_ _

__Kylo Ren paced the length of what had once been Rey’s study, now stripped of all traces of what was distinctly her._ _

__Conflict stirred in his chest as distant memories became muddled with the image of her walking a far different path than the one she did. He could use that. He could do this for himself instead of trusting that he’d be rewarded when the time came._ _

__But here he was, writhing like a worm under Snoke’s boot. He wasn’t sure he even had free will at this point, and no, that’s not Ben Solo talking._ _

__Angrily, he dragged a hand through his dark waves, and slammed the free one on the empty desk._ _

__In an instant, the world around him fell silent, and he whipped around as a familiar connection drew open._ _

__She felt it too, and he knew it as she paused across the room, glancing over her shoulder from behind a brown hood._ _

__“Rey,” he whispered forcefully, taking a step towards her, but she took a defensive position, and he froze. The connection wavered. She was skittish now, and he’d have to tread carefully._ _

__“I don’t want to see you,” she growled, her voice distant._ _

__“Well, I would prefer not to see you either but here we are, your highness,” he bit back, annoyed. She looked him up and down, her gaze scrutinizing and cold._ _

__“You’re not looking too good, cousin,” she said, carefully reminding him of a revelation he was struggling to grasp. Sarcasm took her tone. “I’m sorry, that’s my fault.”_ _

__He tried his best not to let her mockery get to him, but still, he shook his head, biting his lip, and avoiding her gaze._ _

__“Still, there’s something else…” she trailed off, and he took slow steps closer. Finally, she meets his eyes, and he stares back at her. She gasps, mockingly, and bites: “You’ve been demoted.”_ _

__He grabs her wrist, and she struggles, but his eyes never leave her face, and Ben Solo warns Kylo Ren of the consequences._ _

__Through gritted teeth, she hisses at him._ _

__“I warned you about Snoke. He’ll crush you when the opportunity presents itself.”_ _

__“You’re wrong,” He replied, his voice dropping dangerously._ _

__Suddenly, he looks up, and realizes he’s standing in an alleyway in a city. Behind her, there’s a poster of a young woman with her arms outstretched, a Phoenix rising from the ashes behind her._ _

__The frantic look in her eyes suggest she’s seen something too._ _

___“Rey?” _A distant, familiar voice calls, and she whips over her shoulder.__ _ _

____While he’s off his guard, she slips out of his grip, and he blinks for a second. The world around him returns. She’s gone._ _ _ _

____-_ _ _ _

____“Everything alright?” Poe calls back to her, trying to judge her features; the angry flush of her cheeks, a hand rubbing her right wrist gently, avoiding his gaze. Something wasn’t right._ _ _ _

____“Fine,” she replied, her voice cracking as she shuffled to catch up with them. He furrowed his brow, and gave her an unconvinced look, and she sighed. “Not here or now, Poe.”_ _ _ _

____He nodded, and offered her a hand, but she shook her head politely and continued to walk alongside them._ _ _ _

____They continued deep into the South Quarter of the city, approaching a place of meeting with a contact. He wasn’t quite sure who this person was, but he was sure that this could only go wrong for them. They didn’t have much choice, though._ _ _ _

____Finally, they ducked into a cantina in a small, elegant square that had been run down and covered with First Order propaganda. Poe noticed that much of it had been defaced or torn away._ _ _ _

____Over them hung posters of a young woman framed in the silhouette of a rising Phoenix._ _ _ _

____The cantina was alight with music and merry patrons, who paid them little attention as they ventured toward a large booth in the back corner._ _ _ _

____He glanced over his shoulder as Rey slid in before him, and sunk in beside her. Jess batted her fingers on the table nervously, and Muran rested his face on a hand._ _ _ _

____Snap and Karé hung by the door, nodding at him before turning away again._ _ _ _

____There were a few moments of silence among them that were only filled by the upbeat tune the band had plunged into, and the chatter of the surrounding tables._ _ _ _

____A back door swung open, and he followed Rey’s eyes to the woman that had stepped out in a lavish, fuchsia gown slunk into the room, and when she turned, finally, he forced down a groan. Of all of the contacts they had, it had to be her._ _ _ _

____His luck seemed to be running dry with these kinds of things._ _ _ _

____She met his eyes, and a dangerous smile crossed her face briefly, and she approached them discreetly._ _ _ _

____“Oh dear god,” he heard Muran mutter, and the anxious rhythm of Jess’s hand ceased._ _ _ _

____A hand comes to his shoulder, urging them to scoot for her to join them._ _ _ _

____“Dameron, a pleasure as always,” she slings her arms around his shoulders. Rey shifts uncomfortably beside him, her shoulders squared._ _ _ _

____“Zorri,” he sighs, pushing away her hands. “Thank you for coming.”_ _ _ _

____“For you, love,” she whispers, teasingly, kissing his cheek. “Anything.”_ _ _ _

____“Enough,” Muran urges, and Zorri’s attention shifts, her lashes low over her eyes._ _ _ _

____“Lover boy lives, I see,” she groans. She still seems oblivious to Rey’s presence. “Business as always, with that one, darling. I could never understand what it is you saw in him. ”_ _ _ _

____“We didn’t come here to play your games,” Jess snaps finally. “We’ll pay you if you give us the help we need, but this is insufferable.”_ _ _ _

____Zorri laughs, waving for a waiter to grab them drinks, and levels her stare on Jess._ _ _ _

____“My dear, Testor, what would you like to know?”_ _ _ _

____Jess blinks, looks to Rey, and Poe swallows._ _ _ _

____“The Republic has been overtaken here in the city,” she begins, and Zorri finally turns to face her. “We’re looking to help secure the South Quarter so that they will be able to retake the city without our assistance.”_ _ _ _

____“Your assistance?”_ _ _ _

____“Appearances can be deceiving,” she sighs, crossing her hands in front of her._ _ _ _

____“I don’t believe we’ve been acquainted, beautiful,” she held out a hand to Rey. “Zorri Bliss.”_ _ _ _

____After a beat, Rey takes it, and Zorri flinches._ _ _ _

____“Kira Starkiller,” She replies, and Poe places a reassuring hand on her leg._ _ _ _

____“A hell of a grip, Kira,” Zorri laughs, rubbing her palm, but she continues to look her up and down. “New recruit?”_ _ _ _

____“Not exactly.”_ _ _ _

____The tension eases for a moment, and Rey takes his hand off her leg, careful not to blow her cover._ _ _ _

____“Well?” Muran speaks up after the drinks arrive._ _ _ _

____“Come with me,” Zorri gestures for them to follow, and starts towards the door she had entered through. Once she was a distance away, Rey grabbed his wrist, and pulled him closer._ _ _ _

____“I don’t like this,” she hissed, and he turned to face her, eyes locking with Muran’s as he and Jess passed them._ _ _ _

____“I don’t either,” he whispered, trying to stay relaxed. “But we don’t have much other choice.”_ _ _ _

____She nodded, and avoided his gaze as she trailed behind him, sparing a glance back at Karé and Snap who watch them discreetly._ _ _ _

____When the door shuts behind them, Poe lets his hand longer beside the hilt of his blade._ _ _ _

____-_ _ _ _

____Rey swallowed her jealousy as she observed Zorri. Poe was tense, shifting subconsciously, and clearly trying to pull away._ _ _ _

____She had suspected that this woman was another ghost from his past, less like Muran in the sense that she was evidently more involved in the criminal underworld, and, well, didn’t have a fake death story._ _ _ _

____The door slammed behind them, and she jumped, her hand jolting to the silver hilt. With her luck, Zorri saw it before she could conceal it again. But no savvy comment came, and Muran met her gaze._ _ _ _

_____“Easy, Jedi,” _he whispered. The older woman opened a door into another room.__ _ _ _ _

______“Is your father back yet?” Zorri called, and a woman with wild ringlets and colorful clothes lifted her goggles up with surprised eyes. The room was relatively open, but was extremely hot. The young woman placed the glowing forceps into a bucket of water, and smiled at them._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He’ll be around soon, Z,” she responds._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Good,” Zorri smiles and turns back to them. “Welcome to The Forge. Jannah and her father use this as a staging ground for the Resistance in this sector. Jannah, meet Black Squadron, Miss Starkiller, and General Dameron from rebel high command.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jannah scanned Rey up and down with inquisitive eyes, and then, with a pleasant smile, moves to shake each of their hands. Upon reaching Rey and getting a full on look at her face, Jannah seems to stumble over herself._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Can I ask you to remove your hood?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______A lump forms in her throat, and she turns to Poe, who grips his sword firmly on his belt. He nods with a great deal of caution._ _ _ _ _ _

______She pulls it back, and Jannah’s smile grows brighter as she recognizes her fully._ _ _ _ _ _

______“My lady,” she sighs and drops to one knee. “It is our pleasure to serve you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Rey notices Zorri shoot her a look, but dismissed it as she knelt in front of the younger woman before her._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Please, you are among equals here.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Forgive me,” comes an eloquent response. “I was taught to use formalities in the presence of someone so powerful. I take it your name is not Starkiller?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No. You can call me Rey, but for safety’s sake, Kira.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Okay, Rey.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I hope that we can trust you, Jannah. People like that are hard to come by in times like these.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You will! I mean– you can!” Jannah smiles, and her enthusiasm is overwhelming, and Rey is briefly remind of Rose._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Good,” Poe says, and Jannah turns to him with a look of admiration. “Because it’s time we get started.”_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I’ll be updating more consistently in the near future, and I hope that you guys are enjoying the story. To be honest, I had considered scrapping this storyline and leaving _Journal _be, but I’m starting to get back into the groove of it. It’s been a rough start going back to school but hopefully all turns out well. Including this fic lol.__


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